2nd Annual Freedom Climb

Did you know that DM's is a proud member of Bagumbuhay Mountaineers and FIMO?

FILIPINO MOUNTAINEERS, (FIMO) Inc. is a federation of different mountaineering and outdoor groups in the country. It has been created as a result of the 1st  Freedom Climb organized in 2009. Just like last year, their 2nd Annual Freedom Climb will be held this coming Independence Day to commemorate our historic event in 65 mountain summits in the Philippines with an objective of raising the Philippine flag in each mountains.

This year, I will be participating in the said event, not because I represent any mountaineering group, but because I would like to take part in discovering our mountainous country and promote environmental awareness.

In case you would like to be a part of the said event, please refer to below for more details.

See ya up there!

Va' Pensiero Birthday Treat

Friday traffic jam would want you to rather stay in a mall than go home straight and face the bumper to bumper ride. This sad fact led me to meet DM's as my excuse for asking my pre-birthday dinner treats. Yup, TREATS! Anyway, I was really really craving for a good pasta and pizza yesterday but I don't feel like eating alone especially that bingeing with a good food is my target. Thank God that even if Gateway Mall has very limited options, DM's and I discovered this new dining place serving Italian cuisine named Va' Pensiero.

  

This restaurant was formerly named Volare.

Behind us is a wall neatly decorated with photos of all the gourmet pasta and pizza they serve.

Trattoria art in front of us and musical notes. Pavarotti fan?

I saw this gorgeous bottle with lemon and some spices inside..

Do I seem so anxious waiting for our food served?

Here comes our foodie!

Red pasta looks sumptuous for me tonight so I ordered Vongole.

My first time to taste an unusual form of pizza. From the name itself, Tortellone.
Folded, croissant inspired. Filled with ham and mozzarella cheese plus pesto and Parmesan on top.

Bon appetit!

Va' Pensiero

Gateway Mall, Araneta Centre

CaliforniaBerry: Healthy Treat!

I haven't been too conscious with my food intake lately and have been indulging with anything that's sweet and yummy-looking. Lack of appetite was never in my vocabulary for the past three months. I've recently read some blogs saying that despite good marketing strategies of fast food chains and ready to eat food, we can still manage to have a healthy snack - something with low-calorie and non-fat but still yummy looking.

So here's when I discovered frozen yogurt (FroYo and FroZurt for some). Well, I am already aware of froyo's for quite some time as one local channel featured this before although I did not attempt to try any. If I'm not mistaken, they visited one place in Subic with a wide variety of toppings. My curiosity led me to search for store locations nearby office and finally had the chance to experience the froyo madness.

Crazy Cravings..

When I was on my way home this afternoon, I was thinking of what to prepare for dinner. Funny as it may seem but these were my crazy cravings as I torture myself in every dining place I pass by.

1. I saw Wendy's when I was about to hop on the escalator at Megamall A. Bacon Mushroom Melt, yum!!!!

2. Facing Wendy's is Kenny Rogers. Roasted chickeeeeen!!!!

3. Beside the escalator, there's Mc Donalds. Friessssss!!!

My rumbling stomach is really embarassing if someone can hear it! Just imagining these food made my tastebuds react but I don't know why my feet did not pause at any of the above mentioned.

So here comes Mega B and the list gets longer..

4. KFC, lotsa' gravy!!!!

5. Jollibee, spicy chicken!!!

6. French Baker, cheese rolls!!!

7. Pizza Hut. Meat lovers with lotsa' hot sauce!!!

My gosh, diet diet diet! Why is this word DIET always crossed out??? hahaha!

I guess being alone helped a lot because honestly, I hate falling in queue all by myself expecially in fast food chains.

So I starved myself until I reached the Fx station BUT the saga continues..

I remember I have loads of ice cream, cookies, Dunkin Donuts and choco coated mallows at home! Yipee!

Finally, here's what I served for myself. I purposefully left the choco mallows in the fridge. (to make room for midnight snack?)

My first time to buy Ube flavoured ice cream.

Here's one confession, I love it most when it's kind of melted.. No, that's not weird!

But wait.... SOMEBODY ate my bowl of ice cream!!!!

My uber cute Heff. I would love to share my food only if you can chew. I must eat at any of those listed above tomorrow and I'll bring Heff with me.

Burp! :)

Top 5ive before 30...

The weather is kind of behaving today. It's nice to feel the wind inside our office lounge and this made me really sleepy. Anyways, I was chatting with Poy during our lunch break and I realized that I only have less than two weeks until my next birthday. Since I don't have any tasks pending, might as well pull up my notepad and write my thoughts.

June 3rd and I'll turn 29 which obviously means I'm nearing my 30's so I'd like to share you the list of things I'd like to experience before I hit three-oh.

1. Singapore trip - an overdue plan, yet I don't want to lose hope that I will soon see and take pictures beside the Merlion. *fingers crossed*

2. To have my very own Canon 50d. This means I should be earning that same digits monthly, at the very least, and that I have landed a job outside the country. My target? Asia.

3. To experience a family gathering with my Mom and my future hubby's family. This has never happened yet, unfortunately. Doesn't matter if it's just dining out in a fancy resto or an out-of-town trip.

4. To go back to Boracay during summer's peak with my top friends. I shall return for you, Jonah's shake. See me wearing a red-hot bikini!

5. To visit my high school buddies down South after 13 solid years. One of my girlfriends will tie the knot this October with her long-term boyfriend who happens to be our batchmate too so most of us are really eager to come home.

As of now, these are my top 5 list. Will try to add another set after my 29th birthday. :)

Pahiyas 2010: Achieved!

What else could you ask for if the two things you loved most comes handy? For me, that's what we call pleasure and I'm thankful that I'm back to blogging and photography. I finally had my second Nikon DSLR cam after several weekends of abstinence in gimmicks and fancy resto visits. Good job, right?

Last week I was also able to experience my first ever solo out-of-town trip in Lucban, Quezon to attend the Pahiyas Festival. I was actually reading blogs about Philippine festivals and randomly browsing photos as the month of May is when feasts like this are being observed and among all, my eyes captured the wonderful colours of Pahiyas in the most vivid state. Eager to learn more, I checked the date for this year's festivity and then boom, that's just 2 days away, May 15! Being the adventure girl in most ways, I planned and read everything that I can absorb so I can make things possible to reach Quezon with or without a company.

Waking up at 330 am Saturday May 15 was never dragging, unlike typical work days! I was in Cubao at around 4am choosing which bus should I take, JAM or JAC. JAM looks better but it was full and may take another hour before the next bus leaves so I crossed and took the Lucena trip care of JAM Liner, fare was Php 218. Unfortunately, the traffic was really crazy in Alabang, I didn't notice that there was a huge fire causing the delay as I was enjoying my cozy seat and superb air-conditioning. It took me 5 hours to reach Grand Central Station in Lucena and mind you, there was no stop-over at all so I was really holding my pee, my goodness! Then as soon as you stepped out from the bus, jeepney barkers would of course welcome you with their husky voices yet screaming "Lucban, Lucban! Pahiyas, Pahiyas!". So over all, commuting there is not really a challenge and taking a jeepney ride made me feel like a grade school so excited as I get near to my destination. I am also overwhelmed with how beautiful Mt. Banahaw is, God's creation is again at its finest. I don't know how to describe it but there's some sort of mystery and magical feeling just seeing its summit covered with clouds, is that eerie? Nope, I  guess the holiness of Mt. Banahaw radiates that it would want you to think, look back and take part for caring our mother nature.

I took another tricycle ride going to Lucban proper as the City  Council organized the parking slots in the town to give way for the tourists who's as amazed as I am looking at the gigantic, colourful and extravagant decors made of Kiping. Sobrang kinilig talaga ako! And silently, I told myself that I made the right decision to come here. It's nice to see foreigners all around, appreciating the Filipino culture, having those wide smiles as they pose in every house they passed by. A lot of photo enthusiasts were also there, flashing their high-end cameras and lenses, and enjoying each pictures they took. And me being alone also made the most of it to capture every moment and every colours that my eyes set in to. I have accepted beforehand that no one will take photos of me so I made myself busy instead configuring and setting my aperture and shutter speed to produce vibrant pictures which I will be proud of when I come back to Manila.

I also went to this restaurant, I was there twice but I don't know why on earth did I not ask for the name of the establishment. For all I know, the ceiling is inspired by a Japanese Minimalist and the Longganisang Lucban and Pansit Habhab deserves a one big burp! The sun was really perfect that day, its rays made the colours more lively but made people really exhausted I think. There was a huge human traffic in the area and I can feel my sweat flowing all over my body, my small towel didn't help at all. By the way, I also had a chance to meet Rochelle and her friends near the Parish Church. Finally, somebody took a picture of me and when I saw it, I looked like Dora the Explorer, matched with a pink hat and a backpack, haha!I left at around 4pm because I'm afraid that I might get stranded if I go home at night, I'm pretty sure that a lot have only planned for a day trip as well.

This phototrip is my kind of adventure. Mind you, if I'll get paid for taking photos and writing travel guides for a magazine, I will definitely trade my career for this. I am very proud for this achievement because not all girls can do the same thing, not all girls have the courage to go to a place they've never been before, all by herself. Not all girls are willing to step out from their comfort zone. But me, I made a difference and I strongly believe that this defines the "Independent Woman" within me.

~ Colorful hats ~

~ This house seems to be very much prepared ~

~ This is where I had lunch. Minimalist design. ~

~ The only hotel I've seen ~

~Pahiyas is all about magnificent colors ~

~ Looks like the carabao hates paparazzi ~

A politician's goal is always to manipulate public debate. I thinkthere are some politicians with higher goals. But all of them getcorrupted by power.

Dean Koontz

Mom, You Will Always be My Number 1...

I bumped into this quote this morning and I just fell into tears as I relived the moments when I was such a pain-in-the-ass..

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving

God knows how much I missed my Mom. It's different when she's there, when you feel so weak, demoralized and losing hope. I can really say that there is no way we can thank our Mother's for everything she's done for us.

For all our mistakes, for all the troubles we've caused, for all the tears we gave her, she NEVER left us, she never lost her patience, she would always be there to listen and to forgive.

So today, let's pay our humble tributes to our Mom's and make her feel that she is never taken for granted. There's no amount of gratitude for raising me to the best that you can and for standing as a Mother and a Father at the same time. I salute you Ma and I love you, always..

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales

I welcomed the month of May, summer of 2010 with an unexpected, fun-filled, effortless and one of a kind beach trip!It all started one evening when I was googling for beach photos. I got carried away that night when Jessica Soho featured a few unexplored beaches up North, the one in Santa Ana Ilocos captured my attention. Though the place is not covered in white sand, it can be totally relaxing as it is miles away from the city with perfect shapes of stones. I have been a fan of Jessica's show (and it was one of OUR routines every Saturday before). One text message came from of course you know who, asking if I watched the said show, so I simply replied "Oo, pero parang hirap puntahan. Mas madali pa rin ata sa Zambales."

I was clueless of what's running in his mind that night (which he admitted eventually that he really intend to invite me), but on the spot, he asked me if I wanted to go to Nagsasa.. Ako naman, nagulat! (Just a bit of a backtrack, we haven't spoken in a month after that One More Chance revelation night - which I don't question because he has all the right not to talk to me.) So there. I've been really wishing to go to Nagsasa even before we broke up. We even planned it but didn't push through. And me, being a beach bum even if obviously I gained weight recently, never had any second thoughts of saying YES! Ba't ganun?! Why did I decide so quickly not even anticipating where this may lead to? Such a risk! I am still thinking about it until now. But maybe, just MAYBE, what he said to me before gained an ample amount of my trust.

So there, two weeks of planning ahead. To be honest, this time, I have not contributed anything during the planning stage. It's like giving him the whole arena and letting him perform on his own. Which I think is good! This thought helped me: "If you think I deserve you, then by all means, prove it, now!" I even thought of ditching him the last-minute, but why scared? This person's not a stranger to me, not to mention that Mom would always ask for him whenever I call her.. Mama naman eh!

So from the tent, to the cooking set, to my drinking water, to my earth pad, to our food, to our Manong Banker (boatman), to my Off lotion, to my toilet paper.. Gosh, he prepared it all! When we were in San Antonio (bus drop off), he looked so prepared and organized to know what to buy in the wet market for our lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day. In all fairness, it was really something and me being a silent observant got really impressed!

The one hour fifteen minutes of boat ride going to Nagsasa was really wavy. I was never scared for myself or for our stuff if, God-forbid, our boat drowns. I'm more scared of how I will save this guy behind me who doesn't know how to swim at all! But I'm glad we arrived safely, though I must say, I got really toasted under the sun. My skin's peeling now actually.

 

The place is indeed magnificent. Until now, I can see myself silent, looking far away, up in the mountains then back to the beach, amazed with God's creation.

 

It's also a haven for back packers, for those who enjoy outdoor lifestyles. I would say that sleeping inside a tent will never be comfortable for me, in any way, but it's worth another try. Maybe it's different this time, yeah? And yes it was. Why? Because someone stayed up all night just to look after me, ensuring that I'm safe and sound, no ants which I've been complaining before on our last hike, and that's there's enough air inside the tent (damn, there's no wind that night). Well, it looks like I'm getting what I want! I even woke up at around 3am and he's still awake, he even handed me my bottled water. Aba, impressive ha!

 

This beach trip was really worth it. Like I said, there's no amount of regret that I agreed to join him. And it seems that through these baby steps, who knows, things can be fixed and may return to its normal state. Let's just see if magic and miracles still exist. :-)